Days 116 to 120 - Visiting The Children's Trust, a trip to Cardiff and walking & working in West Sussex

A very early start last Friday on Day 116 of the BRIT 2012 Mile Challenge and I spent the whole morning walking 5 miles to make sure I could leave in time to drive to Surrey and support The Children’s Trust http://www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/ for the opening of The Cedar Centre & Woodlands Parents Accommodation by Jacqueline Gold and Daniel Cunningham. My miles at the end of Day 116 stood at 1160 to go.

With The Children's Trust on my Virgin London Marathon in 2010

It is an absolute honour for me to be one of the Vice Presidents of The Children’s Trust and my relationship first started with this wonderful charity when BRIT Mentors and friends, Suzanne Dando-Reynolds and Sally Kettle, introduced me. I chose The Children’s Trust as one of the 26 charities I supported in 2010 when I walked the Virgin London Marathon in 26 hours and was joined by a young person from each charity.

Rebecca Coles walked with me and since then has become involved with BRIT as a Young Advisor. The Chief Executive of The Children’s Trust, Andrew Ross, is an Advisor and Liz Haigh-Reeve and Kate Weston from The Children’s Trust are great friends and supporters.

The Children’s Trust is a national charity working with children who have multiple disabilities and complex health needs. They are based in Tadworth, Surrey but offer our services to children from across the UK.

Amanda Burton & CEO, Andrew Ross, exploring The Children's Trust Wheelchair Accessible Tree House

The opening of the Cedar Centre & Woodlands Parents Accommodation by Jacqueline Gold and Daniel Cunningham was a wonderful day and a landmark of the improved and refurbished facilities at The Children’s Trust and why the combination of services offered by The Children’s Trust is unique.

Every year they help hundreds of children and young people and their families from across the UK through:

• Rehabilitation and other services for children and young people with acquired brain injury:
• Intensive residential rehabilitation programmes
• Support at home for children and families via their Brain Injury Community Team
• Family support via their Tadworth Brain Injury Co-ordinator service
• Online information and advice for parents and other family members at the Brain Injury Hub
• Expert nursing and medical care for children with multiple disabilities and complex health needs:
• Services for technology-dependent children
• Services for technology-dependent babies
• Short breaks (either at their site in Tadworth or in the family home)
• Transitional care from hospital to home for technology-dependent children
• Continuing residential care
• Residential or home-based palliative care, including emergency palliative care
• Holiday camps for children with disabilities and complex health needs

• Special education for children and young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) and complex health needs:
• Residential and day education for learners aged 0-19 at The School for Profound Education (formerly St Margaret's School)
• Residential education for students aged 19-25 at The College for Profound Education
• Publication of The Profound Education Curriculum, a developmental curriculum for learners with PMLD
• Training and support for special education professionals
• An outreach teaching service for young adults with PMLD in residential care

• Information, research and policy development:
• Support, training and education for families and professionals
• Research into better treatments and outcomes for children with multiple disabilities and complex health needs
• Giving disabled children and their families a greater public voice.

With Jacqueline Gold, Daniel Cunningham,
 Amanda Burton, Andrew Ross & Liz Haigh-Reeve

The Children’s Trust have an unparalleled reputation in their field thanks to their commitment to meeting the diverse needs of these children and their families, coupled with the ability to deliver the best possible combination of nursing, therapy, medical care and education. For more information on The Children’s Trust or if you would like to donate to support their work, please click here; http://www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/

My Children's Trust Staff

On Saturday, Day 117 of the BRIT 2012 Mile Walk I drove to Cardiff and back to spend 3 super hours with my sister, Lesley, who was taken into hospital last week. We had a great catch up and some quality time on our own and I managed to pop in on the way home to see my Brother-in-law, Martez, my nephew, James, my niece, Lucy, and my Mum and Dad. Fantastic to be able to see my family. After a long drive back to Sussex I completed 4 miles and finished the day with 1156 miles to go.

Sunday and Day 118 of the 2012 mile walk was a day for recharging and a very gentle 4 miles so I could rehydrate and also spend time in the gym to stretch and go through my core stability exercises.  I finished the day with 1152 miles to go.

I spent Monday (Day 119) and Tuesday (Day 120) in Sussex working on BRIT the charity, our strategy and talking to some of our Advisors and contacts regarding land and the media strategy for when we launch our capital appeal half way through the BRIT 2012 Mile walk on Mile 1006.

Walking 6 miles on Monday and 6 miles on Tuesday I finished Day 120 with 1140 miles to go.

Best wishes,

Phil